Point Sierra Nevada
Point Sierra Nevada sits at 36 feet along the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway - Route 1, with the land dropping 124 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view faces 300°, a direction that looks roughly toward sunset, angled 30° off square with the sun's path. Three peaks are visible to the north and northwest: Salmon Cone at 3.6 miles (404 ft), Salmon Head at 4.5 miles (2,520 ft), and Soda 2 at 5.2 miles (2,824 ft). King City lies 32.5 miles to the north-northeast, while Paso Robles and Atascadero sit 37.0 and 41.6 miles to the southeast respectively. Sunset times shift across the year, from 20:25 at the June solstice to 16:56 at the December solstice, affecting how the facing direction aligns with the setting sun depending on season. Breaker Point precedes this stop on the byway, and Seal Point follows it.
![500px provided description: The setting sun sets off the various bays and coves along the California coast line. [#landscape ,#sunset ,#ocean ,#evening ,#shore ,#peace ,#tranquility]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Evening_Gradients_%2836047002%29.jpeg/1920px-Evening_Gradients_%2836047002%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
![500px provided description: Sunset at Ragged Point, Ca. [#sky ,#sea ,#sunset ,#water ,#sun ,#clouds ,#ocean ,#rocks ,#california ,#seascape ,#big sur ,#ragged point]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Red_Skies_At_Night_%28186677237%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
![500px provided description: Another one from the last day we were there. It was just so cool to watch in person. I hope you all see an amazing sunset soon! :-) Cheers!! [#fire ,#sky ,#sunset ,#sun ,#clouds ,#ocean ,#california ,#seascape ,#big sur ,#ragged point ,#HDR]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Blazing_Big_Sur_%28126038287%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
![500px provided description: Another Big Sur sunset, glowing nice over the Pacific ocean. [#sky ,#sea ,#sunset ,#water ,#blue ,#sun ,#clouds ,#coast ,#ocean ,#orange ,#california ,#seascape ,#pacific ocean ,#big sur ,#HDR]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Easy_Orange_And_Blue_%28126249503%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
![500px provided description: Another shot from the last day of the trip. This one has been lightly tone-mapped but the sky pretty much looked like that. [#sky ,#sea ,#sunset ,#clouds ,#coast ,#ocean ,#california ,#seascape ,#pacific ,#big sur ,#ragged point ,#HDR]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Big_Sur_Burner_%28126618583%29.jpeg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Salmon Cone404 ftnorthwest · 3.6 mi
- Salmon Head2,520 ftnorth-northwest · 4.5 mi
- Soda 22,824 ftnorth-northwest · 5.2 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:10 | 19:17 | 18:44 |
| June solstice | 05:50 | 20:25 | 19:47 |
| September equinox | 06:54 | 19:04 | 18:30 |
| December solstice | 07:12 | 16:56 | 16:17 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- King City32.5 mi north-northeast
- Paso Robles37.0 mi east-southeast
- Atascadero41.6 mi east-southeast
Take the scenic way to Point Sierra Nevada.
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How high is Point Sierra Nevada?
Point Sierra Nevada sits at about 36 feet (11 m).
What can you see from Point Sierra Nevada?
From Point Sierra Nevada: Salmon Cone (NW, 3.6 mi); Salmon Head (NNW, 4.5 mi); Soda 2 (NNW, 5.2 mi).
Is Point Sierra Nevada better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Point Sierra Nevada toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Point Sierra Nevada?
King City, 33 miles NNE of Point Sierra Nevada.
What is the next lookout after Point Sierra Nevada?
Seal Point is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Point Sierra Nevada.
Drive to Point Sierra Nevada with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway - Route 1, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Central Coast · 17 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Point Sierra Nevada — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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